Reader comments

Well done Nick for speaking out and being part of a party that continues to support LGBT rights. Your actions as a party in the house of commons prove they are not just hollow words. Your MP’s where the only people to speak out for amending the equality bill in its 3rd reading. Their amendments where disgracefully left unvoted on by Harriet Harmon’s limiting of the length of time of the debate.

You have one more vote because your the only party that takes politics seriously now. Its time for a change not the two sides of the same coin that’s Labour and Conservatives.

I just hope the media ends its obsessive coverage of Labour and Conservatives and their leaders and give you and your party equal coverage for once.

Thanks for all you did for the Gurkha rights campaign also, it was appreciated from this ex RAF regiment soldier.

“The ID card system is expensive, illiberal, un-British, and won’t keep us safe from terrorists, stop benefit fraud, cut crime or reduce government administration. It would be closed down on our first day in office.”

What utter and complete CRAP! It’s defineatly un-British because on non-Brit would carry one. People are just concerned how deep the immigration, tax avoidance and black market really goes.
If you don’t have papers, you get scrutinised. Simple as that.
If you can’t prove why you are here, you get the next boat out.

Good to read straight-forward answers to questions that Mr Cameron dodged with vigour. RobN – total crap! Dictatorships are usually the countries where the police say “identity papers”, not to mention nazi-era Germany. How about this idea instead; if you don’t like liberal living Britain, then you – RobN – get the next boat out.

Oh please! He may the best of a bad bunch but all his answers still begun with ‘we SHOULD do this’ or we SHOULD have that’
The biggest disapointment is his views on faith schools. Seems like we now have a clean sweep on this issue from all parties. We all know what happens when a society starts to privilage religions. Bye bye freedom!

“The biggest disapointment is his views on faith schools. Seems like we now have a clean sweep on this issue from all parties. We all know what happens when a society starts to privilage religions. Bye bye freedom! ”

What?

He said that all schools – including faith schools – should have an anti-homophobic bullying policy in place, and that encouraging the many religious people who already oppose homophobia would be a good strategy.

How is that exactly the same as other parties? And how does it privilege religious groups?

I think that’s just wishful thinking Jeff Duncan! Nice bit of Tory lies/spin that when looked at falls flat on its face. So the second biggest political party that represents Scotland in the house of commons is irrelevant is it?

List of number of MP’s in Scotland per political party.
Labour Party (39)
Liberal Democrats (12)
Scottish National Party (7)
Conservative Party (1)

Looks like its the Conservative party that’s irrelevant in Scotland to me :P

Although i will probably get a lot of stick for this im still voting conservative
I dont care about my rights and am voting for them solely because they will get us out of the EU or stand up for our nationality
Labour gave up everything British and allowed millions of immigrants in and Nick Clegg would easily get my vote if he was going to do something useul about the EU and allow us to leave it

Andrew: As you’ll have no doubt also noted, Godwin’s Law recognises that there are certain comparisons to Nazi-era Germany which are appropriate & relevant. They forced Jews and other “undesirables” to carry identity papers with them at all times and could stop and demand they show these papers whenever they wished.

In the UK, the police would be able to stop and demand the production of ID papers, which would link to a national database containing all sort of information about the individual. Therefore the comparison is relevant, as opposed to an inappropriate or lazy comparison.

“We must…build on the principles of tolerance and understanding that are at the heart of all major religions.”

What evidence can the self-proclaimed atheist Nick Clegg produce to support this view?

I agree with other posters that the Lib-Dems are as reprehensible as New Labour and the Conservatives in promoting the expansion of divisive taxpayer supported faith schools. Only the Green Party is opposed to this.

George: Nice try, but I was here first. and as for Godwin’s law, my name tag is permanently linked as I get that Nazi crap from the likes of you all the time. It’s just there is a difference between protecting ones own country, and invading someone else’s, be it by military force, or sneaking into the back of an artic.

“Dictatorships are usually the countries where the police say “identity papers”, not to mention nazi-era Germany.”

You confuse Nazism with efficacy. A mistake almost everyone not quite getting the German culture can make.

I’m sorry, but I just don’t get your point. Can someone please explain why there is such a huge controversy surrounding ID cards in Britain? I come from one of the continental countries and I regard my ID card as a part of myself, just like my birth certificate. How else could you prove your, well, identity and existance, basically? I quite like being tagged like that, especially if that means being processed swiftly and with least amount of effort.

If I had a voting right, I would definitely vote for the Liberal Democrats. Not sure if that helps…

Tigra 07:
“Although i will probably get a lot of stick for this im still voting conservative
I dont care about my rights and am voting for them solely because they will get us out of the EU or stand up for our nationality”
And what’s wrong with the EU? The EU are actually fighting for LGBT protection (demanding that Turkey etc. introduce and strengthen LGBT protections).
What good is ‘standing up for nationality’ when your nation is doing nothing for you, like it would under a Tory government? I have nothing against being proud to be British, but you’ve really missed the whole point when you say “I don’t care about my rights”. Would you still be proud to be British if Britain was like Uganda and you faced imprisonment or death because of who you love? You need to think about WHY you are proud to be British.

George Broadhead, PTT:
“What evidence can the self-proclaimed atheist Nick Clegg produce to support this view?”

Well the very sentence you quoted for a start. The fact that he is an athiest is irrelevant. One can have no belief in God but still respect the ideals of those who do. And from what he has said, Nick Clegg clearly does.

I have supported the lib dems for a very long time and I believe in Nick Clegg and he does not get enough coverage in my view.
On a slightly more flippant note I think that he is gorgeous and would love to get to know him more intimately. But he looks like he loves his wife.
Sorry for the distraction

Lots of people say they like the Lib dems; lots of people admire Vince Cable! Lots of people say, “I’d vote for them but they never get in.” THATS THE REASON!!! Vote Lib dem and protect your gay human rights! (Don’t expect Dave& Co too!)

At last another party supporting full marriage equality like the Greens. What does that say for Labour or Tory parties? Not one of them has the guts to come out in support of it and do something positive to make it happen. Now if Cameron were truly for full equality, he’d be the first to do just that. Don’t expect anything.

“One can have no belief in God but still respect the ideals of those who do.”

This is totally irrelevant. Nick Clegg referred to “the principles of tolerance and understanding that are at the heart of all major religions.”. This is factually incorrect as any unbiased reading of the Bible and the Quran will show. Please see the websites Skeptics Annotated Bible and Skeptics Annotated Quran.

I wish Nick Clegg would address questions raised by this video regarding Cornwall Lib Dem Mp Andrew George! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKRJjFOeKMA
Then there is Mp Colin Breed’s South East Cornwall abysmal record on gay equality

Tigra: You are sorely misinformed. I would consider voting Tory, but for their stance regarding Europe and the EU. None of the three major parties is willing to even consider backing out, so based on that, I’m voting UKIP.

Lucius, the fuss in England is not about ID cards, but about the database behind them. This database is unprecedented in Europe and the west, and contains so much personal information about you, and is accessible to so many people across the public and private sectors, that it would be illegal in Germany – a country which has learned the need for strong data protection laws!

You will eventually get put on this £10bn database whether or not you carry an ID card – it’s now a requirement for getting your first passport, and will soon be a requirement for renewing it, and for obtaining CRB checks. There is no way to opt out of the database, and there are dozens of fines and penalties if you don’t continually update your information on the database. You’re legally responsible for the accuracy of the database record, but you have no legal right to correct inaccuracies.

For more information, check out the NO2ID campaign – we let people know the parts of ID database laws and regulations that the Government leave out of their adverts!

Excellent answers Nick, confirming that the Lib Dems are, and have been since their inception, by far the most pro gay rights of any party currently represented at Westminster, one of many reasons why I have alsways voted for you.

Only slight disagreement. I would favour a party that would phase out state funding for religious schools, though I accept that is a difficult issue for a Liberal leader championing parents’ rights to choose.

At least you are more interested in proper safeguards than Gordon or Dave.

I like what nick had to say regarding gay equality, I do hope he means it. I am an editor for a gay community magazine and my readers want support and action from our government. I have always voted labour but I am fed up of the repetitive excuses for our failing economy. The pink Pound is a major contributor to our economy. The promises that labour gave when they were re-elected did not last and It’s time for change. I will give you my vote Nick I will also inform my readers of my vote and why. Good luck and please don’t lose the value’s you believe if you gain the keys to No10. Many thanks Joey Dunn “editor”